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8 plants worth knowing

Zimbabwe

The heart of Zimbabwe is a high plateau (the highveld) covered with miombo woodland of msasa, dotted with granite hills and balancing rocks overgrown with aloes. In the east the Eastern Highlands shelter montane forests and grasslands, while the hot lowlands – the lowveld in the south and the Zambezi valley in the north – belong to mopane and baobabs; at Victoria Falls, spray from the falls sustains a rainforest.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Flame lily 1

    climber · National flower of Zimbabwe

    Flame lily

    Gloriosa superba

    A fiery lily with wavy red-and-yellow petals, the flame lily is Zimbabwe’s national flower, protected by law and part of the country’s symbolism.
  2. Msasa 2

    tree

    Msasa

    Brachystegia spiciformis

    Every September msasa trees cloak the hills around Harare in the red and copper of their new leaves – Zimbabwe’s loveliest season.
  3. African baobab 3

    tree

    African baobab

    Adansonia digitata

    At Victoria Falls stands the “Big Tree” – an ancient baobab under which travellers and traders once made camp.
  4. Zimbabwe aloe 4

    succulent

    Zimbabwe aloe

    Aloe excelsa

    In midwinter Zimbabwe’s granite hills are lit up by the red candles of the tree aloe’s flowers.
  5. Mopane 5

    tree

    Mopane

    Colophospermum mopane

    Mopane’s butterfly-shaped leaves feed madora caterpillars – one of Zimbabwe’s best-known delicacies.
  6. Maize 6

    crop

    Maize

    Zea mays

    Sadza made from white maize meal is Zimbabwe’s national dish – maize grows on almost every rural homestead.
  7. Tobacco 7

    crop

    Tobacco

    Nicotiana tabacum

    Zimbabwe is Africa’s largest tobacco producer – leaf cured on Mashonaland farms has been one of its main exports for decades.
  8. Masuku 8

    tree

    Masuku

    Uapaca kirkiana

    Mazhanje, the fruit of the mushuku tree, is Zimbabwe’s favourite seasonal treat – sold by the basketful along roads and at markets.